The Maasai People – The Maasai were Kenya’s dominant tribe until the early 20th century when British troops drove them from their lands. Although the British defeated the Maasai, they were deeply impressed by their fighting spirit and courage. The Maasai were forced to leave Kenya’s most fertile lands and were left with some of the least hospitable areas to live off. Currently, the entire Maasai population is estimated to be approximately 900,000. They speak the Maa language, as well as Kenya’s official languages, Swahili and English.
This tribe is renowned for its remarkable trackers, with generations of knowledge of their lands and wildlife. As semi-nomadic pastoralists, they continue to live by herding cattle and goats. Traditional Maasai lifestyles center around their cattle, which are their primary food source. Among the Maasai, a man’s wealth is measured by the number of children and cattle he has—the more, the better. They believe that a man with many cattle but few children is considered poor, and vice versa. According to Maasai myth, God granted them all the cattle on earth, leading to the belief that rustling cattle from other tribes was merely reclaiming what was rightfully theirs. However, this practice has become much less common.
There are over fifty tribes in Kenya, but the Maasai are among the few that have preserved most of their traditions and kept their culture alive. Traditional Maasai homes are built in a non-permanent style by the women of the tribe, usually in either a circular or loaf shape. The men then build a large circular fence around the homes to protect the village. Maasai men and elders make all major decisions for their communities.
The Maasai have a vibrant culture of music and dance, without the use of instruments. All their music is vocal, except for the use of large horns in certain songs. Their music involves rhythms created by a chorus of vocalists singing harmonies, while the olaranyani (song leader) sings the melody. The olaranyani is typically the best singer in the group. When the olaranyani begins a line or title (namba) of a song, the group responds with a unified call in acknowledgment. The beads worn by both Maasai men and women create a jingling sound as they jump and dance. Women recite lullabies, hum songs, and sing music that praises their sons.
The peak season for singing and dancing is during the rainy season, a favorable time to celebrate significant life events such as circumcision and marriage. These events often take place around the manyattas and involve some flirtation.
Both Maasai men and women typically shave their heads to mark rites of passage like circumcision and marriage, symbolizing a fresh start in life. Only Maasai warriors are allowed to wear long hair, which they weave into thin braids. Maasai children are named when they reach the age of three “moons,” and their heads are shaved clean, except for a tuft of hair resembling a cockade from the nape of the neck to the forehead. Boys are shaved two days before circumcision, after which young warriors allow their hair to grow and spend time styling it.
Maasai clothing varies by sex, age, and region. Young men wear black for several months after circumcision. Red is a favored color, but black, blue, checked, and striped cloth are also worn, along with multicolored African garments. In the 1960s, the Maasai began to replace sheepskin, calf hides, and animal skin with commercial fabrics. The cloth they use to wrap around their bodies is called shuka in the Maa language. Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewelry, which plays an essential role in their body ornamentation. Ear piercing and earlobe stretching are also common Maasai beauty practices, with both men and women wearing metal hoops in their stretched earlobes.
The traditional Maasai diet consists of six main foods: meat, blood, milk, fat, honey, and tree bark. They drink both fresh and curdled milk, often served from calabashes and sometimes mixed with fresh cattle blood. The blood is drawn by nicking the jugular vein, and the mixture of blood and milk is mainly used as a ritual drink or nourishment for the sick. Bulls, oxen, and lambs are slaughtered on special occasions and for ceremonies. Animal by-products, such as skin and hides, are used for bedding, furniture, and tools, while cow dung is used to build walls. The Maasai’s entire lifestyle truly revolves around their cattle. In recent times, the Maasai have supplemented their diet with farm crops like maize meal, rice, and cabbage.
Since the establishment of the Maasai Mara National Reserve and conservancies, the local Maasai people have played an essential role in the conservation of the region. Maasai landowners in the conservancies lease their lands to safari operators, who in turn practice sustainable ecotourism. These operators pay Maasai landowners a monthly fee, contribute to local community programs, and employ Maasai people as wildlife trackers.
Don’t miss the chance to interact with such remarkable people during your safari visit to Kenya. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
